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Travelzoo Local saw slight resurgence in November, says Benchmark Co.Benchmark Co. said its channel checks indicate Travelzoo's Local channel is experiencing a modest resurgence in November after weakness in October. However, the firm believes investors hoping for a meaningful turnaround are likely to remain disappointed and keeps a Hold rating on the stock.

Expedia hits 52-week high after Q2 profit tops estimatesShares of online travel company Expedia (EXPE) are rising after the company’s second quarter adjusted profit topped analysts’ consensus estimates and it reported strong gross bookings. WHAT'S NEW: After the close on Thursday, Expedia reported Q2 adjusted earnings per share of 89c, topping analysts' consensus estimates of 84c, on revenue of $1.66B, in line with the consensus projection. The company reported adjusted EPS, excluding eLong (LONG), of $1.02. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Expedia reported Q2 room night growth, excluding eLong, grew to 35% year-over-year, with domestic and international room nights growing 24% and 50%, respectively. It reported gross bookings and revenue, excluding eLong, increased 20% and 15%, respectively. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange, gross bookings increased 28%. In Q2, Expedia added nearly 27,000 properties to its global supply portfolio, which now stands at approximately 257,000. ANALYST REACTION: RBC Capital said this morning that Expedia's results were "surprisingly strong," given intra-quarter comments by the company. The firm raised its price target on the name to $140 from $130 and kept an Outperform rating on the shares. PRICE ACTION: In early afternoon trading, Expedia rose $11, or about 10%, to $118.65 on more than twice its average daily trading volume. Earlier in the session, the stock made a fresh 52-week high of $119. Including today’s advance, the shares have gained approximately 50% over the past year. OTHERS TO WATCH: Other online travel companies include Priceline Group (PCLN), which is up 2.3%, Travelzoo (TZOO), which is up 0.6%, Ctrip.com (CTRP), which is up 1.8% and Orbitz Worldwide (OWW) and Tripadvisor (TRIP), whose shares are flat.